George R. R. Martin says rumor that he’s finished the books is ‘absurd’

Critics of the recent Game of Thrones seasons feel that the show’s writing has suffered due to the writing team not having a book to adapt. George R. R. Martin still has to finish “The Winds of Winter,” the second to last book of A Song of Ice and Fire series. Now we have a rumor that he’s actually done with the books and is just sitting on them. That sounds really crazy, but the rumor is spreading like wildfire.

Martin has posted on his blog about the state of internet journalism, pretty much showing his dissatisfaction.

“Internet journalism is an oxymoron, I am more and more convinced,” Martin wrote.

“Every so often, however, one of these stories gains an improbable currency, and just chuckling at the insanity no longer suffices,” he said about the rumor.

“That seems to be happening right now,” he added. “All of a sudden this crazy story about my finishing THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING years ago is popping up everywhere. No, I am not going to provide links. I don’t want to reward purveyors of misinformation with hits.”

Martin sets the record straight that the rumor is false.

“I will, however, say for the record — no, THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING are not finished,” the author wrote. “DREAM is not even begun; I am not going to start writing volume seven until I finish volume six.”

Martin then says that it’s obvious that the report isn’t true.

“It seems absurd to me that I need to state this,” he continued. “The world is round, the Earth revolves around the sun, water is wet… do I need to say that too? It boggles me that anyone would believe this story, even for an instant. It makes not a whit of sense. Why would I sit for years on completed novels? Why would my publishers — not just here in the US, but all around the world — ever consent to this? They make millions and millions of dollars every time a new Ice & Fire book comes out, as do I. Delaying makes no sense. Why would HBO want the books delayed? The books help create interest in the show, just as the show creates interest in the books.”

It makes more sense for HBO and Martin’s publishers to want the book out sooner. His final words echo the sentiment.

“So… no, the books are not done,” Martin wrote. “HBO did not ask me to delay them. Nor did David & Dan. There is no ‘deal’ to hold back on the books. I assure you, HBO and David & Dan would both have been thrilled and delighted if THE WINDS OF WINTER had been delivered and published four or five years ago… and NO ONE would have been more delighted than me.”